Railway-tie.



H. E. SHELDON.

RAILWAY TIE.

APPLICATION FILED ocT. 22,1914.

Patented July 18,' 1916.

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HAR-RY E. SHELDON, 0F PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR 0F ONE-HALF T0WILLIAM D. FORSYTH, OF YOUNGSTOWN, OHIO.

RAILWAY-TIE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 18,1916.

Application filed October `22, 1914. Serial No. 867,995.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, HARRY E. SHELDON, a citizen of the United States,residing at Pittsburgh, in the county of-Allegheny and State ofPennsylvania, have invented new and useful Improvements in Railway'fies. of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to railway ties.

The object of my invention is to provide a steel railway tie in whichthe metal is properly distributed in accordance with the strains towhich its various parts will be subjected; which is extremely lightowing to the distribution of the metal; which has at its ends acomparatively large surface in Contact with the ballast; which will nottip or allow the rails to creep or spread thereon; which has superiorelectrical insulation from the rails; in which screw spikes, or plainround or standard square spikes may be used;

from which the spikes can be readily withdrawn to change the insulation,the tieplate, or for any other purpose; and in which the spikes may beinserted and from which they may be withdrawn many times withoutdestroying their holding power.

Other minor objects will appear hereinafter.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a plan view of thebody or base of my improved tie, the central portion being broken away;Fig. 2 a cross-section on the line II-II of Fig. 1, the scale beingreduced; Fig. 3, a side elevation of one of the bodies or bases of myimproved tie; Fig. 4, a section on the line v.lV-IV of Fig. 3; Fig. 5, across-section through a rail, showing one end of a tie with myimprovements in side elevation; Fig. 6, a vertical section takenlongitudinally through one end of a tie body or base and transverselythrough the parts thereon; Fig. 7, a plan view of one of the rail-seatsor chairs; and Fig. 8, a plan View of one of the tie-plates. 0

Onl the drawings, I show the base of my railway-tie with the broad ends1 and the laterally contracted central or connection portion 2. Thesteel blank from which this base is made is a flat substantiallyrectangular plate having its outline corresponding approximately to thedotted line 3 which surrounds the base (Fig. 1). This blank is subjectedto suitably shaped dies and pressed therein to the shape shown on Figs.1 to 6. The edges 4 at the ends 1 may be'left in their normal planeswhile the portion 5 with-- in these edges 4 is -elevated somewhat, thesides 6 of these portions 5 being inclined outwardly in order to bracethe structure strongly against lateral strains. The elevated portions 5are preferably provided longitudinally with depressed ribs 7 to stiffenthe ends l. The central or connecting portion 2 is formed by pressingthe sides of the blank toward each other and at the same time pressingthe portion between the edges upwardly to a substantially 'U-shape, theblank being narrowed in forming the connecting portion 2 to a third, forexample, of the original width. The portion 2 being narrow will beableto work its way into the ballast coincidently with the ends l, the

portion being so stiffened by its vertical eX- tension-that it will not,when the ends are forced down by the weight ofthe cars on the track,break or bend over the fulcrum formed thereunder by the ballast.

To the ends 1, I secure the rail seats or chairs 8 which are castingshaving the hori- Zontal flanges 9 resting on the raised portions 5 andconnected thereto by the rivets 10. The portion of each chair betweenthe flanges 9 is elevated, its top surface 11 being horizontal orparallel with the portion 5 below it, and the sides 12, which may be atright angles to the surface 11, being braced by the webs 13 connectingeach side with the adjacent flanges 9. Each chair 8 is provided withvertical openings 14 (Fig. 7 for the tubular. insulating material 15(Fig. 6). The openings 14 are in the reinforcing material 16 integralwith the top 11 and the sides 12.

The tie-plates each comprise a rolled steel plate'having the downwardlyturned flanges v17 at the sides of thelplate parallel with the contactwiththe lower surface of the tieplate and the inner surface of thellanges 17.

22 are spikes driven down through the holes 20 and 14 and the insulatingmaterial 21 in the same manner that the spikes Would be driven intoWooden ties. The spikes can be Withdrawn in the usual manner and drivenback several times Without materially affecting their holding power. Thespikes may be pulled out readily for changing the insulation 15 or 21,or for changing the tie-plate, or for any other purpose. The railscannot spread apart or move on their supports. The insulatingmaterial isa very eiiioient retainer for the spikes and may be used whereinsulationis not required.

I claimv 1. In a steel rail-tie7 a sheet of steel contraoted laterallyat the center into a narrow high arch and having at each end a broadbase7 provided vvith an elevated portion connected thereto by inclinedWalls, and

a longitudinally-extending depressed rib on the said elevated portion.

2. In a steel rail-tie, a sheet of metal contracted laterally at thecenter into a narrow high arch and having at each end a broad base,provided With an elevated portion connected thereto by inclined Walls.

3. In a steel rail-tie, a sheet of nietal contracted laterally at thecenter into a narrow high arch and having at eaoh end a broad base,provided with an elevated portion connected thereto, and arail-supporting seat secured on each 'elevated portion.

Signed at Pittsburgh, Pa., this 20th day of October, 1914.

HARRY E. SHELDON.

l/Vitnesses:

ALICE E. Duur, F. N. BARBER.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe ommissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C.

